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Test Code LAB5168 Cystatin C

Performing Laboratory

St. Louis Children's Hospital - Chemistry

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation: None

Container/Tube  
Preferred: Mint green-top Lithium heparin (MNTGRN LiHep) tube
Acceptable: Plain red-top tube, Gold SST gel tube, or Lavender-top (EDTA) tube
Collection Volume: 2.0 mL (minimum 0.6 mL)

Submission Container/Tube: If specimen is coming from outside facility and collected in a plain red-top tube or lavender-top (EDTA) tube aliquot processed sample into a plastic vial for transport (labeling with specimen type).
Special Instructions: Send to lab promptly.

Sample Rejection

Specimens collected by capillary method.

Mislabeled or unlabeled specimens

Logistics

Test Availability: Monday-Sunday
Cut-off time: None; performed as received
Turnaround Time: Same day; 2 hours from receipt in performing lab

Reference Values

Reference Intervals:

< 1 month: 1.00-3.00 mg/L                   
1-6 months: 1.00-2.00 mg/L                                                               
6 months-1 year: 0.70-1.50 mg/L
≥ 1 year: 0.6-1.2 mg/L
Interpretive data: Cystatin C concentrations vary widely in the first month of life, particularly in pre-term infants. Concentrations gradually diminish to adult levels by 1 year of life. Concentrations tend to rise with diminishing renal function in individuals greater that 60 years of age.

Critical Values: None established

Methodology

Particle Inhanced Immunoturbidimetric 

Limitations

NA

Additional Information

FOR SLCH CORE LABORATORY USE ONLY

Lab Processing Instructions: Centrifuge specimen to separate. If specimen is collected in a plain red-top tube or lavender-top (EDTA) tube, aliquot sample into a Roche false bottom tube for testing (labeling with specimen type)
Processed Volume: 0.3 mL plasma/serum
Analyte Stability:

Specimen Type Temperature Time
Whole Blood (unprocessed)  Ambient NA
Plasma/Serum (processed) Refrigerated (preferred) 7 days   
  Ambient  7 days
  Frozen  6 months   

 

Test Classification and CPT Code

82610

Test Classification: This test has been cleared or approved byt the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions.

 

LOINC

33863-2

Last Reviewed

06/2025